Thanks for the thread Mary :) even us old cootes who played so long we can't recall learning - perhaps thats why we don't know what we are on about - enjoy reading other folks' take on everything from picks to strings. I sometimes jump on stuff I think ain't right, like dissin Martin strings.

In fact these are only 6 bucks a set and very good value, here they are made in Mexico and I love the sound they make, esp fingerstyle.

Bout the Barre Chords, once in my foolish youth trying to make it in a
'Showband' if anyone here is that old ..lol, I had to learn a sack of them Chords; I can tell you my brain and paw was sore for months.
They take a while to get used to but are not real hard like some fingerstyle licks can be.

Afterwards I decided not to take the road and the traveling musician life. Glad I did that, looking at some of them old err cusses out there trying to look like teenagers ....ha ha ha

How bout those guys, Jagger, Mc Cartney - he married a kid age 20 something, old enough to be her grandad ... what a bunch of kettleheads!